


A Lie and a Promise

by SansyFresh



Series: Fresh's Babble Collection [21]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: AU I made, Angst, Genocide, Nothing but angst, Underchill, Vent Writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-12 01:08:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10478658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SansyFresh/pseuds/SansyFresh
Summary: Too many Genocide Runs, too many times he's watched his brother die at his side...Sans can't handle it anymore.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I needed to vent write. This is a rare occurrence that you'll get pure angst from me, but that's what this is. 
> 
> Yes, this is an AU I created named Underchill. It's less of an "Well what if this happened, how would that change them?" and more of an...well, it's pretty much whatever I wanted that didn't seem overdone. Experimental, I guess. I needed to vent really badly and my babies suffered for it.
> 
> https://queenofbiscuits.tumblr.com/post/158580326719/sorry-its-so-big-i-cant-figure-out-how-to-make
> 
> That ^^^ is what Paps and Sansy look like. That's also my Tumblr if you're interested.

The snow crunched lightly under his boots as he shuffled through the main part of Snowdin, shaking phalanges shoved in his jacket’s pockets. Every step in a random swath or pile of dust put another shiver of disgust down his spine. He only had to make it Grillby’s, then he wouldn’t have to see the trail of destruction the human had left in it’s wake. He wasn’t sure why, after all these repeats, it still bothered him so much. Sans certainly acted like it didn’t bother him any longer. Papyrus knew better.

 

The old wooden door squeaked as he pushed it open, stomping his black boots on the frame to rid them of any residual snow before walking over to the bar. If Grillbz was still around, he’d be appreciative of his efforts, at least. Sans, however, snickered, apparently already well on his way to blackout drunk.

 

If Papyrus had his way, he’d join him in the next hour or so. As everyone else was already dead, the chances were good he’d get his way.

 

“Paappps, what took you so long? I already finished the damn bourbon.” Sans slurred through his words, nodding absentmindedly to a pile of shattered glass on the floor. Papyrus scowled as he sat beside his brother, using his height to his advantage as he grabbed a couple of bottles from behind the counter.

 

“Language. I just...had some stuff to do.” Even after all this time, Papyrus still struggled to say that he visited Alphys before the human’s attacks could finally finish herself off. Kid never even stayed to make sure Alphys died. The small, confident lizard was one of the only monsters to consistently befriend him, no matter the timeline; she didn’t deserve to die alone. Sans knew all of this, of course. He still remembered the timeline Papyrus had come to the Judgement Hall with hollow sockets and dust covering his clothes. He didn’t have to ask to know Alphys had asked him to finish her off; it was written in the grief that had taken over his brother’s soul.

 

That had been a memorable fight, at least.

 

Papyrus made a face as whatever booze he had grabbed mixed with his magic, the slight burn satisfying though it didn’t last long. Sans had started on a new bottle as well, though if the way he was putting most of his weight on the bar top said anything, he’d be asleep before Papyrus had a chance to get pleasantly buzzed. Not for lack of trying, though.

 

Before long Sans was laying over the dark wood of the bar he usually served, loud snores filling the empty space. Papyrus found it amusing once the alcohol really took effect, one arm leaning heavily into the top, his chin in his hand. A few more bottles and he’d join his brother, though he doubted his lanky form would remain on the stool. The thought of him falling over, still asleep, made him laugh, laughing breathlessly into his arms. Hell…

 

He sighed as he finally caught his breath once more, chin resting on his crossed arms, empty bottle of whiskey in front of him. He couldn’t remember the last time the kid had actually let them see the surface, let alone stay up there more than a week. The sun, stars, boundless sky...all of it was a distant memory he’d rather forget about, honestly. It’d mean less pain in the long run. 

 

With a grunt Papyrus pulled the last bottle of firewhiskey from the shelf, popping off the cap and allowing himself a last sigh before downing the burning liquid. 

 

He’d have to remind Sans to put it on his tab.

 

~.~

 

It was a small matter, waking up after their night of limitless drinking and making a slow journey to New Home. Technically Sans could always port them straight to the Hall to wait for the human, but the calm, meandering trip through Waterfall always brought them to a better headspace before the fight.

 

It never mattered what they did in the long run, the kid had done this enough times to have their attacks and patterns memorized. So, countless resets ago, they made a promise to one another. If one of them was about to get a hit, the other would not try and take it. It would affect whatever the kid did in the next timeline, so it was an easy agreement to make.

 

Papyrus huffed as he felt the oppressive heat of Hotlands, his eyelights focused anywhere but the path that lead to the Labs. Sans stretched for a moment, his violet dress shirt scrunching out of place. He didn’t fix it, immediately taking a gentle hold of his brother’s arm before porting them directly to the center of the Judgement Hall.

 

It wouldn’t be long before the golden tiles and pristine windows were shattered beyond repair.

 

The human arrived right on script, dust caked on their clothing and skin. The sight always put a feel of disgust over the brothers’ bones, and not only because most of that dust was monsters they knew. Sans, the official Judge of the Underground, rattled off his practiced speech, the words more than memorized by now. Papyrus declared his brother’s decree of the human’s guilt, and the battle began.

 

It went against their nature as monsters,  _ still _ after all this time, to simply kill the creature. Surely there was a better way, surely they didn’t have to kill everyone. Monsters were kind, albeit strong creatures, yet the human’s determination to find as many differences as they possibly could overrode any deal the skeleton brother’s had attempted to make.

 

Any deal anyone had attempted to make.

 

Papyrus could feel himself start to sweat as he dodged the human’s attacks, Sans no better off. It wouldn’t be long before the kid focused on one of them, picked one of them off. This part always hurt the worst, either having his head torn from his body or having to watch as his brother was killed with a brutal slash through his ribcage and soul. He watched the human’s movements carefully, trying to plan in his mind who they would go after so as to prepare himself for either outcome. 

 

A subtle shift in his direction told him everything he needed to know. If he could give his brother a parting smile, he would, but turning now would only leave him open to more attacks than he had to take. His health dwindled as the human focused on him, dodging becoming more and more difficult the longer the fight went on. It didn’t matter much what attacks he or his brother sent out; they were all avoided with a grace they could only begrudgingly, objectively admire. 

 

Papyrus flinched as the sharp, dust covered knife sliced through his shoulder once more, his health finally to a low enough point that one solid hit would finish him. Sans seemed to know this, eyelights jittery in his sockets as he took his turn. Their eyelights met once as the human dodged once more, Papyrus attempting to tell his brother goodbye ( _ for now _ ) as the knife fell once more. When he looked back to meet his fate, however, all he found before him was a wall of green.

 

His soul went silent as Sans fell back into his arms, marrow spilling from his teeth as he attempted to smile up at his brother. “I’ll see ya next reset, bro. Sorry, couldn’t keep that promise this time.”

 

Papyrus could only watch in petrified shock as Sans began to dust, slowly sifting through his fingers until he sat in a pile of dust, his brother’s clothing in his hands. Why? Why had he...they had never done this before, this was… He found himself trembling, tears streaming down his skull as he chuckled, getting back to his feet. The laughter grew as he took a few steps towards the now unsure human, their grip tightening over the handle of their knife. 

 

Papyrus finally looked up at them, his minty eyelights gone from his sockets, a wide, broken smile stretched almost unnaturally over his skull. He spoke through dark chuckles, large cracks forming almost audibly through his soul as he stepped towards them.

 

“Y’know, I never understood why we never just killed you straight off. Save a lot of time, lot of effort.” He paused, both in his speech and his stance, arms rigidly at his sides. “But I guess it wouldn’t matter cause you just never FUCKING STOP, DO YA?!”

 

The human flinched as he screamed into the otherwise silent Hall, thought they no longer looked scared. Papyrus would have to fix that.

 

“I guess I’m just gonna hav’ta  teach you some FUCKING MANNERS, huh kid?!” He growled as he lept forward, magic flowing like a flame from his sockets, bone constructs sharp and aimed to kill, hands reaching out to be used like claws if he could get close enough.

 

He was tired of this. Tired of this damn kid getting their way, and he’d be DAMNED if he let it happen again!

 

~.~

 

Frisk snickered as they kicked through the tall brother’s dust, remembering the look of pure murderous intent he had on his face just before attempting to attack them. Too bad he already only had one hit left. The fight hadn’t lasted as long as they would have liked, but ah, well.

 

They smirked as they continued down the Hall. That had at least been something different.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to ask any questions about the AU you might have. I need a distraction.


End file.
